Illuminated knob



May` 1, v1956 w. w. cAwLl-:Y

ILLUMINATED KNOB 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 15, 1952 Y INVENTOR ATTORNEY WAYNE w. cAwLEY FIG I. 4.

May 1, 1956 w. w. cAwLEY ILLUMINATED KNOB 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 15, 1952 FIG. IO.

INVENTOR WAYNE W. GAWLEY ATTORNEY ILLUMINATED KNOB Wayne W. Cawley, Endicott, N. Y., assigner to Cadre ldlstries Corp., Endicott, N. Y., a corporation of New Application August 15, 1952, Serial No. @4,473

3 Claims. (Cl. 24u- 2) This invention pertains to novel improvements in the construction and mounting of Knobs for Radar and Radio Sets and has for a primary object to provide a simple and compact illuminated knob, especially adapted for actuating potentiometers, switches, rheostats and similar parts in radio and radar sets and to provide means for conveniently and expeditiously mounting such knobs on the control panel of such sets in a manner such that their illumination may be maintained during rotation thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rotatable lamp-carrying or housing-knob and a xed electrical contact with cooperating conducting means whereby the lamp may be constantly illuminated.

This invention embodies the provision of means for mounting a knob on a panel of a radio or radar set in attachment to the control spindle of an operated mechanism, the mounting means being xedly supported within an opening in the panel and supporting the knob for convenient rotation externally of the panel and forming a fixed electrical contact for an electrical conducting means in the knob whereby to illuminate a lamp housed in the knob.

This invention further comprehends the provision of a retaining element for holding the fixed electrical contact or mounting means securely seated in an opening in the panel and located against axial movement and against rotation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a fixed member arranged cooperatively with a rotatable knob and provided with electrical conductors in the form of slip rings and to provide means for protectively encasing a lamp housed in the knob in a manner to effect electrical connections between such lamp and the slip rings by means of contacts housed within the knob and connected between the current supply terminal plates or contacts of the lamp and the slip rings.

These and ancillary objects and structural features of merit are attained by this invention, preferred embodiments of which are set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings where- Figure l is a side elevational view of one of the preferred embodiments of the novel knob showing the same mounted on a panel and in operative attachment to the control spindle of an operated mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view depicting the internal construction of the knob of Fig. 1 and of a lamp within the knob;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view showing the retaining clip for holding the mounting member against axial movement outwardly from the opening in the panel;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the retaining clip;

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of the retaining clip;

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of a modified embodiment of a knob and mounting means;

ate

improved features which constitute this invention, a manually operable rotor member is mounted upon a stator or sleeve member, and means are provided for attaching said stator member to a suitable panel; an electric lamp being housed in said rotor member, and means are cooperatively carried by said members for conducting current to said lamp.

Considering in greater detail the embodiment of this invention shown in Figs. 1 6, the panel 1t) may be of any suitable material, as used in radar, radio and like sets.

An opening l2 is formed in said panel for receiving a cylindrical stator or sleeve member M, the external diameter or" which is slightly less than the diameter of said opening i2, so that said sleeve sets snugly in said opening.

An external shoulder 16 is formed radially intermediate the ends of the outer surface of said member 14 to provide a stop for locating said member against axial movement inwardly of the panel.

Said member 14 is fixed in the opening l2 and located against outward axial movement by a retaining clip 18.

As most clearly shown in Figs. 4-6 said clip 18 is in the form of a horse shoe or U-shape, and has opposing legs 29 and 22 (Fig. 4) and a connecting bight portion 24. The outer sides of the legs are straight and the inner sides, at the free ends, are curved outwardly to permit the legs to be easily inserted into grooves or slots 26 and 23 formed in the opposing sides of the member 14. The legs 26 and 22 are outwardly bowed intermediate their ends as at 30, so that the intermediate portions of the legs are offset from the aligned outer and inner ends thereof, which are co-planar with the bight portion 24.

The clip 18 possesses a high degree of resiliency, preferably being formed from spring steel, and the iiat inner and outer ends of the legs and the bight portion 24 abut against the inner surface of the panel in, as the legs straddle the mounting member 14, while their outward bowed intermediate portions are situated in the grooves or slots 26 and 2S formed in the member 14. Said member is thus held snugly in the opening l2; the shoulder i6 being clamped tightly against the outer surface of the panel l@ by said clip 1li.

The bight portion 24 of said clip has a lateral flange 32 formed therein to provide a linger grip for facilitating slidable movement of said clip when the legs 20 and 22 thereof are being inserted in or being removed from the slots 26 and 28 provided therefor.

The manually operable rotor member or knob K comprises a cylindrical shell 94, which shell has a radially extending internal shoulder 96, which shoulder reduces the receptive internal diameter of said shell. Said shoulder 96 rotatably seats against the outer end of the sleeve member 14, being disposed concentrically with said member.

The knob K also comprises a core 38 which projects beyond the inner end of the member 14 and a disk 40 engages said core and abuts against the inner end of said member 14.- for retaining said core against axial movement outwardly of said member, thereby preventing withdrawal of said core other than as a unit with said member 14. Said disk is anchored in a circumferential groove in said Patented May l, i956 core,and radiates therefrom. An axial bore 42 is formed in the inner end of the core 38 for receiving an end of the spindle 44, which spindle may be the control member for mechanism operable by the knob K, such as a potentiometer, switch or rheostat. A radial set screw 46 is applied for fastening said spindle in said core.

An axial bore 50 is formed in the outer end of the core 38, spaced from and of larger diameter than the bore 42.

An elongated lamp 52, of a type used in telephone switch boards, is housed axially in the bore 50; the outer end of said lamp projecting somewhat forwardly from the forward end of said sleeve.

As shown, said lamp 52 is provided with axial side terminal plates 54. Engaging these terminal plates are the arcuate ends 56 and 58 of supporting contact springs 60 and 62; which ends are bent arcuately or bowed and have their convex faces seated on said lamp terminal plates.

Said contact springs and 62 are formed with U- sha'ped midportions 64 and 66 which lit over the outer end of the core 38, the bounding wall of the bore 50 having opposing axial splines for accommodating the inner legs of said springs.

The slip rings 76 and 78 are secured to the inner surface of the sleeve member 14 forwardly of the shoulder 34; said slip rings being spaced axially of said member.

The contact spring tip 74 is in brushing contact with the slip ring 78, and the corresponding other spring is in brushing relation with slip ring 76. The conductors 82 and 84 extend respectively from the slip rings 78 and 76 to soldering lugs 86, 86 which extend from opposite sides of said member 14; which member is preferably of insulating material having said conductors embedded therein.

The knob K further comprises an end plate 8S which is formed with an internal threaded aperture 90, within which the outer end of the lamp 52 is disposed. A. transparent or translucent dome-shaped cap 92 is threaded in the aperture 90, and completes enclosure of the lamp.

lThe outer cylindrical shell 94, hereinbefore referred to, is secured to the inner surface of the plate 83 adjacent the periphery thereof, and is substantially concentric to the core 38; said shell provides a iinger engaging surface for rotating the spindle 44, and a skirt extends laterally from the inner end of said shell, in suitable spaced relation from the panel 10.

In Figs. 7-ll, a modied form of knob construction and mounting means is illustrated, wherein a cylindrical mounting member or stator 102 is fitted in the opening 12a of the panel 10a and is formed with a radial flange 104 that abuts against the outer side of the panel to limit the inward movement of the mounting member. Slots or grooves 106 are formed in opposing sides of the member and are peripherally arranged to receive the legs 20a and 22a of the retaining clip 18a, which is constructed identical to the retaining clip 18 and which functions in a similar manner to securely hold the mounting member 102 against axial and rotary movement in the opening 12a. The spindle 108 is disposed through the central bore 110 in the mounting member and is attached to the knob 112.

The spindle 108 is disposed through the bore 110 in the member 102 and is received in an axial center bore 114 formed in the knob 112. rEhe knob is bored radially as at 116 and a set screw 118 is housed in the radial bore and Vfrictionally engages the spindle to lock the knob on the spindle, seen in Fig. 8.

An off-center axial bore 120 is formed in the knob and is disposed through the outer and inner surfaces 122 and 124 of the knob. Means is mounted in the off-center bore 120 to support a bulb receptacle and to house contacts for the contact 126 of the bulb receptacle. A bulb receptacle 128 is shown supported transversely of the outer end 122 of the knob by the housing 130 which is disposed in the bore 120. The contact 126 is formed on the bulb-receptacle 128 within which Vis seated a conventional -telephone switchboard type lamp 132. Contacts 134, 134 extend from the housing 130 and are in wiping engagement with concentric slip rings 137 and 138 that are suitably imbedded or otherwise secured to the outer surface of the fixed mounting member 102. Leads or conductors 140 and 142 extend axially in the mounting member which is of suitable insulating material, and are connected to contact lugs 144 and 146.

An axial mounting flange 148 projects from the outer end 122 of the knob and is sector shaped. The mounting flange seats the peripheral flange 150 of a round lens 152. A radial set screw 154 is disposed through the opening 156 in the flange 148 and is in threaded engagement with the opening 15S in the flange 150; the head of the screw being countersunk in the opening 156. The lens 152 is flush with the outer end of the liange 148 and the flange 150 is of a length co-extensive with the length of the mounting iiange 148 so that it forms a continuation thereof.

As best shown in Fig. 1l, the lens 152 is transparent or translucent and is adaptable for a desired legend inscribed in the space 160, such as*potentiometer-for designating the mechanism governed by the knob.

The lamp is disposed transversely of the outer end 122 of the knoband is located between the lens and the outer end of the knob, so that the lens and its peripheral tiange 150, which seats on the outer end of the knob, forms a housing with the knob for enclosing or encasing the lamp.

A skirt 162 is formed on the inner end of the knob and extends radially therefrom, the skirt radiating from a projecting ange 164 on the inner end and being spaced out of engagement with the front of the panel 10a.

While certain preferred forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that other embodiments may be made, such as come within the purview of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a knob construction for use with a rotatable spindle, the combination of a cylindrical stator member adapted to be mounted in an opening in a panel, said stator' member being of non-conducting material and having a pair of electrically independent current supply contacts xedly secured thereto, a rotor member disposed substantially concentrically with and projecting outwardly from the forward end of said stator member end providing a manually operable knob, which knob comprises a cylindrical outer shell having a radially extending internal shoulder, said shoulder being rotatably seated against said forward stator member end, said rotor member further comprising a core which extends through said stator member and projects beyond the rearward end thereof, said rotor member having a cavity for receiving an electric lamp, and a pair of contacts carried by said rotor member in positions suitable for conducting current to respective terminals of such lamp, the proportioning and relative arrangement of said lamp contacts and said stator member contacts being such that they will cooperate to provide independent current paths from respective ones of said current supply 'contacts to one and the other of said lamp contacts during rela-tive rotational movements of said members.

2. In a knob construction for use with a rotatable spindle, the combination 'of a cylindrical stator member adapted to be mounted in an opening in a panel, said stator member being of non-conducting material and having a pair of electrically independent current supply contacts iixedly secured thereto, a rotor member disposed substantially concentrically with and projecting outwardly from the forward end of said stator member and providing a manually operable knob, which knob comprises a cylindrical outer shell having a radially extending internal shoulder, said 'shoulder being rotatably seated against said forward stator member end, said vrotor member further comprising a core which extends through said stator member and projects beyond the rearward end thereof, a disc carried-bythe rearwardly'extendinglportion vof said core and abutting against said rearward stator member end, said rotor member having a cavity for receiving an electric iarnp, and a pair of contacts carried by said rotor member in positions suitable for conducting current to respective terminals of such lamp, the proportioning and relative arrangement of said lamp contacts and said stator' member contacts being such that they will cooperate to provide independent current paths from respective ones of said current supply contacts to one and the other of said lamp contacts during relative rotational movements of said members.

3. In a knob construction for use with a rotatable spindle, the combination of a cylindrical stator member adapted to be mounted in an opening in a panel, said stator member being of non-conducting material and having a pair of electrically independent current supply contacts fixedly secured thereto, a rotor member disposed substantially concentrically with and projecting outwardly from the forward end of said stator member and providing a manually operable knob, which knob comprises a cylindrical outer shell having a radially extending internal shoulder, said shoulder being rotatably seated against said forward stator member end, said rotor member further comprising a core which extends through said stator member and projects beyond the rearward end thereof, a disc carried by the rearwardly extending portion of said core and abutting against said rearward stator member end, said rotor member having a cavity for receiving an electric lamp, and a pair of contacts carried by said rotor member in positions suitable for conducting current to respective terminals of such lamp, the proportioning and relative arrangement of said lamp contacts and said stator member contacts being such that they will cooperate to provide independent current paths from respective ones of said current supply contacts to one and the other said iarnp contacts during relative rotational movements of said members, and a light pervious cover for said cavity, said cover being in the form of a domeshaped cap and threaded into walls of said rotor member around said cavity.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,566,069 Buchholz Dec. 15, 1925 1,687,877 Moorhouse Oct. 16, 1928 2,165,835 Brady et al July 11, 1939 2,246,255 Juergens June 17, 1941 2,317,162 Wood Apr. 20, 1943 2,457,920 Rider J an. 4, 1949 

